Table leg clamping bracket



March 13, 1951 w n- 2,544,817

TABLE LEG CLAMPING BRACKET Filed May 25, 1949 29 -2- 22 H INVENTOR) Dams F WJE E,

m fi-I-ORNEY.

' a rectangular Patented Mar. 13, 1951 TABLE LEG CLAMPING BRACKET Denis F. White, lndianapolia lnd.

Application May 25, 1949, Serial No. 95,317

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a clamping device which can be clamped to a post.

An important object is to, provide a device for detachably clamping a horizontal shelf to a vertical post such as a table leg in the absence of screws or bolts, whereby the shelf may be ad-" justably positioned and secured vertically of the leg simply by pushing the shelf into its horizontally disposed position and pushing down a shelf member.

This invention has a number of possible uses,

but is particularly well adapted to provide a portable shelf which can be clamped to the leg of a table such as a card table, to support an ash tray or a glass.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become obvious to those skilled in the art from the following description of one particular form of the invention as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a device embodying the invention secured to a vertical post indicated in section;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view in section'on the line 3-3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a view in section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is atop plan fragmentary view of the device embodying the invention, as applied to a cylindrical post.

The same numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views.

A U-shaped body l formed from a suitable resilient material such as rubber is provided with laterally spaced arms II and 82 connected by a web l3. The free ends of the arms H and 12 are provided with inwardly extending projec-- tions l4 and I arranged substantially at right angles to said arms. The arms H and !2, web l3 and the projections i l and I5 define therebetween opening corresponding closely to the cross-sectional area of a post or le 2!, Figs. 1 and 2. The exact length of the projections 14 and I5 one toward the other may vary with the hardness and resiliency of the material used to form the body I0 and with the crosssection of the post 2|. When the body is formed from rubber of 90 durometer hardness and the post has a square cross-section, the projections and permit the projections l4 and 15 to pass across the sides of the post 2| and engage on the back side of that post when the web 13 is pushed against the outer or front side of the post 2|, whereupon the legs H and I2 will spring back to come into contact with the respective sides of the post 2|, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

A pair of rods 22 and 23 formed from a suitable rigid material such as metal extend throughout the legs I I and 12 respectively in an imbedded manner to extend through the body ill and emerge in spaced apart relation one from the other to extend freely for a distance from the body.

A spacer bar 26 formed from any suitable substantially rigid material such as a plastic, is revolubly mounted on the rod 22 by having the rod 22 slidingly pass through a bearing head 2'1 on one end of the bar. The bearing head 21 has washers 49 and 36 at opposite ends thereof fixed longitudinally of the rod 22 to hold the head against travel along the rod 22. These washers are held against travel away from the ends 01" the head 21 by staking the rod 22 outside of the washers as at 35 and 32.

The bar 25 is provided with a groove 28 across its free end, with an upwardly and outwardly sloping face 29 extending from the underside of the bar to the lower side of thegroove 28. This face 29 and the groove 28 are spaced from the head 21 such that when the bar 26 is revolved about the rod 22, the lower portion of the face 29 may strike the rod 23, and, upon forcing the bar 26 further in that travel, the face 29 will relatively wedge over the rod 23 and then have the groove 28 drop around the rod 23 to hold it in that wedged over position relative to the rod 22. That is, the bar 26 spreads apart those rods 22 and 23 by their free ends, and

that action rocks the imbedded portions of the rods toward each other, thereby forcing the legs II and I2 into a tight, compressive engagement with the post 2|. 1

The bar 26 may carry any desired element thereon, herein shown as a shelf'member 35 which is formed integrally with the 1 bar 26 to be on the top of said bar and arranged to be in a horizontal plane when the member 23 is engaged in the slot 28, Figs. 1-4.

A horizontal disposed annular ring 36 is carriedby the body H] to be spaced above and concentrically positioned over the shelf 35 when the rod 23 is engaged in the slot 28. The ring 36 acts as a guard for articles (not shown) placed on the shelf 35.

To clamp the device to the vertical post 2! the rod 23 is relatively removed from the slot 28 and the free ends of the rods 22 and 23 are compressed inwardly toward each other. The projections 14 and 15 on the arms I l and i2 are thereby spread apart a sufiicient distance to permit the projections and arms to be fitted around thepost 2!. by lever action of the shafts 22 and 23 acting through the body l9. After the body H! has been fitted around the post 2| the compression on the outer free ends of the rods "is released and the rod 23 is relatively replaced in the slot 28.

Upon application of a load (not shown) to the shelf 35, the exposed portions of the rods 22 and 23 are tended to be depressed slightly downward. Cocking'a'ction through the body compresses the web i3 and the projections l4 and i5 against the post 2| and tends to'resist in itself downward travel of the device along the post 2|. Therefore with each increase in load on the shelf the gripping action of the body ID on the post 2| is increased and the body is secured in its original position on the post.

A U-shaped adaptor 38 formed from any suitable material such as rubber is used to convert the body NJ for use with a cylindrical post 39. The adapter is provided with opposed legs 4d and Al joined by a web 42, and the legs are provided with inwardly extending projections 63 and 4&- on their free ends. The adaptor is formed to fit tightly within the legs H and t2, projections- M: and I5, and web I3 of the body M. The adaptor is centered between the arms H and i2 and formed to fit tightly around the post 39 to circumscribe approximately 75' per cent of the horizontal perimeter of said post.

After the adaptor is installed in the body t0 the device is applied to the post 39' in the same mannor as the unconverted body Ill is applied to the post 2 i.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in one particular form it is obvious that structural changes may be employed without de-- parting from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A clamping device for securing a horizontal shelf to a vertical post comprising a Uishaped body provided with opposed arms and a web connecting the arms, each of said arms beingprovided with inwardly extending projections on its free ends, said arms, web, and end projections being made of elastic rubber: formed to fit tightly around the major portion of the horizontal perimeter of a post; a rigidrod having a portion imbedded centrally in one of said arms to continue on through the body by an exposed portion extending from the web end of the body; a second 'rigid rod having a portion imbedded centrally in the other of said arms to continue on through the body by an exposed portion extending from the web end of the body; 'a rubber spacer free ends, said arms, web, and end projections being formed to fit tightly around the major portion of the horizontal perimeter of a post; an eiongatedmember having a portion imbedded centrally in one of said arms and having an exposed portion extending from the web end of the body; a second elongated member having a portion imbedded centrally in the other of said arms and having an exposed portion extending from the web end of the body; a spacer bar pivotally' mounted on the exposed portion of one of said members and having a slot in a free end to errengaged in the slot; said shelf being secured to the top of the spacer bar in such a manner as to be held in a horizontal position when the spacer bar is engaged with the other elongated member.

3. A clamping device for securing a horizontal shelf to a vertical post comprising a U-shaped body provided with opposed arms and a web connectingthe arms, each of said arms being provided with inwardly extending projections on its free end, said arms, web and end projections being formed to fit tightly around the major portion of the horizontal perimeter of the vertical post; a first rigid rod-having a portion imbedded centrally in one of said arms and having an: exposed portion extending irom the web end of the body; a second rigid rod having a portion imbedded centrally in the other of said arms and having an exposed portion extending from the web end of. the body, each of said rigid rods being normally held insubstantially parallel relation by the body; a spacer bar rotatably mounted on. said first rod in a position spaced from the body and having a slot in a free end formed to receive the second rod and so arranged that when the second is engaged in the slot relative movement of the rods toward each other is prevented; said shelf being secured to the top of the spacer bar in such a position as to have its top surface in a horizontal. plane when the secondrod is on gaged inthe slot.

4. A clamping device forsecuring a horizontal shelf to a vertical post comprising a U-shaped body provided with opposed arms: and a web connecting the arms, each of said arms being provided with inwardly extending projections on its free ends, said arms, web, and end projections being formed to fit tightly around the major portion of the horizontal perimeter of a post; an elongated member having a portion imbedded centrally in one of said arms and having. an exposed portion extending iromithe web end of the body; a second elongated member havinga poi-=- tion imbedded centrally in the other or" said arms and having an exposed portion extending from the web end of the body; a spacer bar pivotally mounted on the exposed portion of one oi said members and having a slot in a free end to engage the other: member, said bar being arrangedto prevent relative movement of the members to'-- ward each other when the other member is engaged in the slot; said shelf being secured to the top of the spacer bar in such a manner as to be held in a horizontal position when the spacer bar is engaged with the other elongated members; an annular ring carried by the body in a position over the shelf.

DENIS- F.

REFERENCES ones The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 63,393 Johnson s Apr; 2', 186'? 68,304 Morse Aug. 27', 1867 567,53? Ernst Sept. 8,1896 1,006,109 Malmstr'om Oct. 17; 1911 1,030,386 Come'au June 25', 912 1,916,856 Copeman July 4, 1933 1,982,589 Bergstrom Nov. 27', 193 2,202,352 McGu'gin May 28, I940 

